1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to teaching machines and more particularly pertains to a therapeutic aid for the handicapped which employs a plurality of switches, lights and muscle exercising devices to facilitate improvement in muscle control, as well as in hand and eye coordination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists a continuing need for easily transportable and operational teaching devices that assist handicapped individuals to regain the use of their motor reflexes and coordination. In this respect, there has been a number of attempts in the prior art to provide such devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,710, issued to Barnard on Apr. 11, 1972, discloses a selectively illuminable toy which may be utilized to teach hand and eye coordination for children. In this regard, there is provided a control knob operably associated with a selected number of distinctive illuminable stations on a display board in such a way that the stations are sequentially illuminated and darkened by a movement of the knob. In one form of the Barnard device, a rotary switch coupled to the knob sequentially connects power from a battery to a separate light bulb at each station as the knob is turned, and indicia provided on the display board serves to correlate each station with a knob setting. In another form of the Barnard device, a light bulb is mounted on a radial arm secured to the knob so as to rotate to each station as the knob is turned, and in yet another form of the invention, light from a common light bulb is transmitted to each station via a lightconductive rod coupled to the knob. As such, the Barnard device allows a user to coordinate a rotary switch position with a particular light so as to facilitate hand and eye coordination as above discussed. However, the Barnard teaching machine makes no use of a plurality of different switches which may be coordinated to illuminate particular lights, nor is there any exercising devices associated therewith.
Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,456, issued to Kozak on Apr. 18, 1972, there is disclosed a device for teaching coordination or rhythm which includes a plurality of figures illuminable in varying cycles of equally spaced intervals, a plurality of illuminable lamps associated with each of the fingers and a multiplicity of switches for the lamps so that any or all of the lamps associated with the fingers may be illuminated simultaneously or in a chosen pattern for a cycle of numbers. In this respect, the Kozak device is principally directed to the display of particular lights in response to the activation of particular switches, but no use is made of two or more switches to activate matching patterns of lights, nor are there any other functions performed by the device such as providing means for exercising the hands, fingers, etc.
As such, the prior art coordination teaching devices generally must be supplemented by other teaching aids if it is desired to increase the complexity of switch and light association or to provide means for exercising arm, hand, finger and eye muscles. In this connection, the present invention eliminates the need for providing additional teaching and exercising devices, thus fulfilling a long felt need in the industry.